Last week the Senate passed Senate Resolution 174 to designate June 20, 2013 as “American Eagle Day” in celebration of the recovery of the American Bald Eagle. U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, is one of the resolution’s original lead co-sponsors, and worked to include recognition of the Auburn University’s Southeastern Raptor Center in this year’s resolution (Sessions had a lead role in a similar resolution last year).

“The bald eagle is an American treasure and inspiring symbol of our national sovereignty and precious freedoms as American citizens,” Sessions said in a press release. “I hope all Americans will take time to ponder the beauty of this majestic creature, the powerful ideas it has come to symbolize, and the ways we can all work together to increase bald eagle populations in the United States.

“I am particularly proud that, once again, the Senate has recognized the outstanding work of the Auburn University Southeastern Raptor Center. Since the 1970s, Auburn has been leading the way on raptor rehabilitation, education and research, and just last month, the Southeastern Raptor Center released its first locally found bald eagle. Preserving bald eagles and other raptors—as Auburn is doing—is one way we can pay tribute to our common heritage as Americans and help maintain a healthy eagle population for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Here’s Kenny Smith’s video of the Southeastern Rapto Center’s May release of a bald eagle, that according to the Center, was “the first locally found and rehabilitated bald eagle to be released by the Raptor Center.”

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